Eritrea's Measles Vaccine Rating Is Better Than Most Western Countries - WHO

By CDE

The United States, Britain, France, Italy and Denmark are some of the countries lagged behind Eritrea to vaccinate its citizens under herd immunity threshold.

According to WHO, at least, 95% of people must be vaccinated to stop its spread (a threshold known as “herd immunity”).

Last year Europe missed the deadline it had set itself in 2010 to eradicate measles and had almost 4,000 cases. Some outbreaks in eastern Europe have also started in communities of Roma (gypsies). Members of this poor and ostracised minority are shunned by health workers and often go unvaccinated.

In America, some poor children miss out on vaccines despite a federal programme to provide the jabs free, since they have no regular relationship with a family doctor.

Eritrea, who has measles coverage of 96%, is running an excellent program in its healthcare to eradicate measles, reports World Health Organization (WHO).

By comparison, measles vaccination coverage in Africa is 73%. In East Africa, Sudan has 92% coverage, Kenya 82%, Uganda 82%, Djibouti 81%, Ethiopia 70% and Somalia 47%.

In the same note, WHO reported that Eritrea's impressive immunization coverage rate included DTP3 figures (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis). Eritrea's coverage since 2008 is 99% and 64% for Africa. Kenya has the second best rate in East Africa with 81%. Sudan at 78%, Djibouti at 74%, Uganda at 67%, Ethiopia at 46% and Somalia at 37%.

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